Using reverse kinematics, we have studied the breakup of $1.0A$ GeV gold nuclei incident on a carbon target. The detector system permitted exclusive event reconstruction of nearly all charged reaction products. The moments of the resulting charged fragment distribution provide strong evidence that nuclear matter possesses a critical point observable in finite nuclei. We have determined values for the critical exponents $\gamma$, $\beta$, and $\tau$. These values are close to those for liquid-gas systems and clearly different than those for 3D percolation and the liquid-gas mean field limit.

• Received 20 May 1994

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.73.1590